Monday, November 09, 2020

Murder in Old Bombay by Nev March

First Line: I turned thirty in hospital, in a quiet, carbolic-scented ward with little to read but newspapers.

Retired from the British Army after injuries sustained in Afghanistan, Jim Agnihotri has no real idea of how to earn a living, although he would like to do something that relates to his literary hero, Sherlock Holmes. Initially hired at a newspaper to look into the "Crime of the Century," Agnihotri instead begins working for Adi Framji, the widower of one of the young women who fell from the university clock tower in broad daylight. The case intrigues Agnihotri, and Framji, a member of a rich Parsee family, has never believed that his wife and her sister committed suicide.

But in a land with so many divided loyalties, asking questions is dangerous, and a chain of events is triggered-- especially when Lady Diana Framji joins Agnihotri in the hunt for the truth.

~

Based on a true story, Murder in Old Bombay does bring the caste system and divided loyalties of India to life. Agnihotri, half Indian and half white, isn't fully accepted in either world. Suffering from PTSD, he does channel Sherlock Holmes in his ability to don disguises and gather information from various (sometimes warring) sources.

My favorite part of the book occurred when Agnihotri was on one of his fact-finding missions and wound up gathering a group of displaced children. If a child needed help, he simply could not turn that child away. Two of the children, in particular, shone brightly: the little girl Chutki, and the little boy Birju-- both of whom had the hearts of lions. Chutki's experiences really highlighted the problem of the caste system in India.

There is a lot to like in Murder in Old Bombay: Agnihotri's kind heart, those children, a devious mystery to unlock. There's a romance involved that I'm not convinced was entirely necessary, although it does show that even in 1892, there were some forward-thinking families in Bombay. I feel as though I'm giving this book faint praise because... although there's a lot to like about it, it didn't really engage me and make me want to read more about Agnihotri or any of the other characters. Of course, your mileage can certainly vary!
 

Murder in Old Bombay by Nev March
eISBN: 9781250753779
Minotaur Books © 2020
eBook, 384 pages
 
Historical Mystery, Standalone
Rating: B
Source: Net Galley

14 comments:

  1. I know what you mean, Cathy, about a book with a lot going for it, but that still doesn't exactly whisk you away. I've read books like that, too. At some point I might try this - I do like books that take place in India - but I'll reserve judgement...

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  2. A great first line. Faint praise is all some books call for, but lately, I have found several that did not even elicit faint praise.

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    1. Needless to say, I've experienced that myself.

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  3. Oh, i was waiting to see what you said about this book. It only got a B. i am not sure if I want to read it. I'll check it out. A historical novel about India is a compelling setting, but it needs to be a good one.
    Glad to see what you are reading now, eagerly avid thoe two reviews. The Horowitz book got a good review from an old friend, and Phoenix Noir is a tempting one.

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    1. So far so good on the Horowitz, but it's been taking me forever to read. I've had so many ARCs to read lately that I've had to hold off on Phoenix Noir, although I will say that the first couple of short stories are good.

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  4. I like the sound of this so I may look it up, whatever, that cover is stunning.

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  5. The setting and "based on a true story" make this one sound interesting. I may have to check it out.

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  6. I've got this one on my Kindle. Looking forward to reading it.

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  7. Nev Marsh and Sujata Massey, author of The Widows of Malabar Hill, are in a zoom interview at the Poisoned Pen website. See Facebook videos section.

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    1. I'm waiting for it to appear on their Youtube channel. I talk a bit about that on my link round-up this Friday.

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